The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-06-09
self to feel i'll Of a Monday morning

milk and a stone crock of plums, for
Kinda had a child-like fondness for
sweets.
'.Hinda," she faltered, "'can't you
wash for me this week? Do try-there's
a good linda"
The old woman wriggled herself
about on her uneasy couch wringing
her hands and rolling up the yellow
white of her African eyeballs in pite-
Gus fashion.
"Not dis var week, honey" she an
swered, plaintively, mot for de Queen
an all de royal chilluns. No; ner next
week, neider. Dom knows I'll e6er
wash agin, honey" with a m~ournful
croak in her voice.
Roxy's countenance fell. ''But, Hin
da," she pleaded, '.Aunt Sally isn't
able to wash; and besides, she has
found a whole thicket of witch-hazel
some where up the creek, and she won't
sleep night o day until she gets the
roots all dug and scraped, and the bark
stripped off and put sleeping in aico-
hol. Hinda"-with q sudden inspira-
tion-''do you think I could do the
washingP"
"You, Miss Roxy-oh, git Quit"
"But, Kinda, somebody must wash"
at amt no work for a young lady,
Miss Roxy" said Kinda, decisively.
every thing is work for a young
lady," pleaded Roxy, ''if it has got to
be done"
Kinda shook her head. "Yo'll break
yo' back, honey, an parboil yo' hands,
an"
"Oh, 1 don't mind all that, Kinda, if
only Aunt Sally would think the clothes
looked decent" urged Roxy. "'Tell
me how to do it, Hinda-there's a dar-
ling"
''Well, honey, yo' put de clothes
asoak de night afore." unwillingly be-
gan Kinda. sin plenty O. bar soap
sliced up thin; an yo' bile 'em we'll,
an yo' doan forgit de blum, an mind,
yo' doan git de starch too stiff. an be
suah yo' rensh de clothes right smart,
an'-oh! dar goes de pain in my POI
ole bones agin, jes for all de world like
crooked lightnin'."
So Roxy returned home not much
wiser than she went I'd give all my
algebra and geometry" sighed she,
'.if- only I knew how to wash"
Joy of joys! as she went past Squire
Honeywel's big cream-colored house
she saw a colony of white garments,
veritable flags of truce to her troubled
mind, flutteringi in the wind from a line
in the back garden.
They're washing" said Roxy to
herself, with a Frightening face.
SHOWS the time for me to go in and
see how it is done"
She slipped insinuatingly in at the
open kitchen door, whence a cloud of
white steam fioated forth. '.Good-
morning, Docia," she said to Miss The
odocia Honeywell, the 'Squire's
daughter. "Do you suppose your
grandmother would like a jar of my
wild plums? They're a nice color, and
keep their flavor beautifully. No,
don't stop your work" Gas Miss The
odocia paused courteously, and began
to wipe her soapy arms on a roller
towl); Ego on, just as if I wasn't
here"
And she eagerly settled herself to
take note of the stout young woman's
every motion. But Miss Theodocia's
ideas of politcness were a great deal
too well defined to allow her to spend
her time in washing when there was
company.
You're very kind, I'm sure" said
she, shut the clothes can wait. / dare
say granny would relish the plums, and
anyhow we've a city boarder this
month, ar artist young gentleman, and
any little luxury comes in handy for
the table,"
IAN artist?" wistfully repeated
Roxy.
YES" nodded Docia. 'Such pictures
as he paints with a squeeze or two out
of his color-tubes, and a dab of his
brushes! / declare it seems like magic.
You paint, too, Roxy Stephens, don't
youP"
"a little" confessed Roxy, thinking
guiltily of the peach-blossom plaques
and the panels covered with abortive
attempts at autumn leaves that she had
spoiled. "But paintingis no use, Docia.
For a woman Imean. I'd a deal rather
know how to-wash."
Docia Honeywell burst out laughing.
"What odd things you do say, Roxy"
cried she. "But when it comes to paint
ing being no use, 1 just wish you could
see the little bits of canvas and mill
board that our Mr.. Jefferys gets a hun
dred and fifty dollars for. A-hundred
neutrality-suspicious. Going, are your"
for, since the business of washing
was temporarily suspended, poor
Roxy's purpose was blighted. ''Well,
I'm sure it was very kind of you to
think of the preserved plums, and we'll
be very thankful for them, especially
since mas citron all nodded, and the
blackberries fermented, and blew the
tops off the cans and broke the cellar
windows. And, Roxy, if I'll stop in
some afternoon will you show me that
new crochet stitch?-the one in shells
and waves, you know, like Mrs. Deacon
Dodd's shawl"
Roxy promised that she would, and
set forth, wondering to herself why it
was that she lacked the moral courage
to ask Docia for instruction in the mys-
teries of the wash tub just as frankly
as Docia had requested her assistance
in u%nraveling the complexities of the
new crochet stitch.
al think I mustbe a dreadful goose"
sighed Roxy. "But, all the same, that
washing has got to be done, whether
well or i'll. 1t can't be worse Than those
algebra problems in the second book.
As e and g equal z, so must soap. water
and plenty of sunshine equal clean
clothes"
And 10 the next morning, when Aunt
Sally had eaten the ham and eggs
which Roxy had now learned to fry in